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Messalina: Empress of Rome

The Ancients

00:00

The Roman Empire's Definition of Adultery

In the Roman Empire adultery was defined by the status of the woman. You could be a married man and if you sleep with an unmarried woman you're an adulterer. In terms of Claudius his wife is Messleena but he's also sleeping with other women too. I think that there are probably armed rumours about infidelity stating to the earliest part of the reign. But what we're really saying is that Messleena perhaps begins to act out a little when she feels that her position is secure.

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